After the plane leveled out and the seat belt lights went off, our attendant made good on her promise. Not only did she manage to bring us two tall bottles of Ambrosia, she also had two large, firm pillows. She explained that they could help us to better balance the babies on our laps. Melinda handed me Armand and after she lifted Adeline up to her chest, Diana placed the pillow squarely onto Lindy’s lap. She laid Adeline down and Diana gently plucked Alyssa from my lap, and set her down next to her sister. It was a perfect fit, and the two girls seemed to fold together as Lindy covered them with a blanket. Diana handed me the other pillow, although I enjoyed the sweet warmth of little Armand as he slept soundly in my arms. I placed the pillow on my lap, but for the time being, kept him cradled to my chest. He smelled so sweet that every time I lifted him close to my face, I had to kiss him. I was beginning to understand my sister’s obsession with babies.
“There we go,” Diana whispered. “Now maybe you can relax a bit easier.” She handed Melinda a container. Our Ambrosia came disguised in a tall plastic bottle of soda.
Lindy glanced up and smiled, and then passed the first bottle to me. “Here you go, Sis.” She turned back to our flight attendant extraordinaire and accepted the second one. I was so grateful for her helpfulness, that I thanked her twice.
“I was wondering,” I began in a soft voice, “did you get a chance to make that call?”
Diana nodded. “They wouldn’t give me any information, except to say that there was an incident near the security checkpoint. I could have pushed for more, but I was worried for you and the babies. Especially once you mentioned...you know who.” She raised an eyebrow.
“I see. Well, if you do hear any more, please be sure to let us know. Won’t you?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said sweetly. “And please let me know if you need anything at all. I would be happy to help you with the babies: warming baby-bottles, disposing diapers, whatever!” Her smile was genuine as she watched Melinda. “I love babies too.”
Melinda gave a quiet snort as she handed her a plastic bag. “Well, Diana, here you go! I would appreciate you disposing of these, since you offered.”
“That’s my job!” she chuckled. “Enjoy the flight.”
“She seems sweet,” I said as Diana retreated down the aisle.
“Yes, sweet enough to drink. Cheers.” Melinda raised her bottle to me but didn’t wait. She drank it down quickly and then took a deep breath. “I really needed this. I’m so glad Emrys called her. And,” she whispered, “I wouldn’t mind hiring her to be a permanent donor.” She leaned her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes. “This is so good.”
I took a swig, realizing we all had our different tastes. It was satisfying, but nothing special. However, I too was glad that Emrys had called her.
Emrys. Where is he? Is he ok?
I missed him so much. I took another large drink and gazed down at the sleeping child in my arm. The combination of the Ambrosia and the warmth of this fragile baby and his innocent face gave me strength to go on. A little time away from my husband would be worth it to keep these babies safe. And I knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d be reunited with Emrys again. He’d get away from the Venators - somehow. He has to. I took a few more gulps and licked my lips. I kissed Armand on the top of his adorable little head.
Please, Emrys. Please come back to me.
CHAPTER 5
I’M FLYING STANDBY IN YOUR HEART
As much as he wanted to comfort his wife, Emrys had to stay back in order to let them get away safely. He knew in his heart that this was going to work, but letting Elizabeth go on without him was the hardest thing he ever had to do. They simply had no other choice. He and Gavin had planned every detail the first moment they realized that the Venators had been making inquiries about them - and their reason for being in the States. He also knew Elizabeth would be furious with him - once she found out he had not let her in on their plan. But it was far too risky to get the women involved. His main concern was that they would be preoccupied with the infants, and not be able to react fast enough, should the plan have to be altered. This way, the children would be safe and kept completely out of the Venator’s hands.
Emrys was glad that the airport was so crowded. It had made it that much easier to put space - and many bodies - between himself and Gavin’s family. Elizabeth had not noticed when Emrys hung back a bit while she slipped through the metal detector. His hesitation would allow him to create a diversion. Once she was on the other side and enveloped within the crowd of people, he intentionally made eye contact with the security guards. Then he quickly turned his face away and fumbled in his pockets. Giving them a quick guilty look, he now appeared suspicious. He was able be a great actor when absolutely necessary. Keeping one hand deep inside his pocket as though he was holding a gun and, at the same time, deliberately darting his eyes about in an attempt to look nervous, he also hoped to appear dangerous - perhaps even a bit insane. These actions were for the regular guards. For the Hunters, all he had to do was sneer at them to get their attention. And then he tripped a man on purpose so they would think he was about to attack. They had been watching him, and his ploy worked. Within moments, he was flanked by two Venators - one on each elbow, and a security guard was on the radio, calling for backup.
When he heard Elizabeth’s voice calling his name, his reaction was so fast that it was imperceptible to the men who held him. Only Elizabeth was able to see his quick frown as he shook his head to warn her. And it broke his heart, hearing her cry, but Emrys could not let the Venators identify his family. The bald man on his left glanced around, but Emrys immediately jerked his arm sideways, pretending to pull away. And his ploy was successful. He got the Hunter’s attention back where it belonged: keeping the prisoner secured. It was a relief when Elizabeth kept quiet and stayed out of view, but Emrys could still make out her fearful thoughts. He would have to spend a few more minutes play-acting, which would give Gavin enough time to get the women and infants out of the area.
“I am afraid, sir, that you have mistaken me for someone else,” Emrys said, glaring into the Venator’s eyes. He struggled again, though with only a half-hearted effort. If he chose to, he could break both Hunter’s necks in a flash. But there were far too many humans around; he had to keep up the pretense, act as though he was upset by this delay, as if he was unaware of the Hunters. This way, no one would know it was a set-up.
“Sure we do,” the bald Hunter sneered in a southern drawl. “That’s what ya’ll say.” As he held onto his prisoner, the electricity flowing through his hand was proof that he had been right all along: this tall dark-haired one was definitely a bloodsucker. It made him furious when they tried to get away with breaking the rules. “I know who you are,” he growled between his clenched teeth. “And once we get ya behind closed doors and away from the crowds, we’ll be showin you who we really are.”
Emrys’ laughed. “Do you seriously believe I am afraid of your threats?” He kept his voice low and his head high. Without looking at the man and maintaining his composure, he said, “I remain quite certain that you do not know who you are dealing with, sir!”
The anxious eyes of the younger and much smaller Venator bugged out as he continued to hold tight to their prisoner. Emrys sensed the man’s fear, and he knew that this little one would be easy. But it was not time to fight yet, and he held still; looking straight ahead as more security guards appeared all around him, some ready with a hand near their gun. There was a lot of confusion, accusations, questions and assumptions going on between the airport security and the Venators who were dressed just like the guards. Emrys realized that as soon as they could, the Hunters would remove him from this public area, and take him somewhere private. He had to remain calm at least until then. And once he could no longer hear Elizabeth’s frantic thoughts, he assumed that they were out of sight and, hopefully, out of danger.
* * *
Gavin waited at the end of the long corridor, not too fa
r from the boarding gate where he had left Melinda, Elizabeth and the triplets. He kept himself hidden so he’d be able to watch them and make sure they were safe. Every now and then, he’d peer over his shoulder to watch for Hunters, and so far, he hadn’t spotted anyone that looked suspicious. He hoped that by splitting themselves up this way, less attention would be drawn to them as a group.
Each time he spotted Melinda craning her head around her sister, he’d duck behind the large post. It felt like forever, but eventually the women boarded the plane and soon after, the waiting area was completely empty. He watched the flight updates on the electronic board until it said it that their flight had departed. Finally he could breathe a sigh of relief.
Gavin was grateful that Emrys had been so willing to make sure the babies were safe. Now he had to keep his end of the plan, and help to free his Regent. He made his way back stealthily, at times moving so fast that no one could see him. This speed came in quite handy when he had to sneak back through the checkpoint. He made it through with ease, and he spotted his friend just as the guards began to pull him through the crowds.
He watched from a distance as they escorted Emrys toward the locked doors behind the security tables. There were fewer guards now, as some of them had gone back to their previous positions once their prisoner was secured. Gavin noticed Emrys take a quick glance over his shoulder. To any human around it looked like he had only flipped his long hair back away from his face, but in that split second they had made eye contact and Emrys now knew Gavin followed close behind them.
All they’d need was a few moments alone with the Venators. It would be far too risky to reveal what they really were to the human guards. It was bad enough that they’d have to deal with the Hunters, and most likely in a physical way. But both Emrys and Gavin hoped they would not have to take down any innocent humans while making their escape.
A heavy-set guard unlocked the big metal door and everyone sidled through. Once inside, he shut and locked the door behind them, and the remaining guards went about their own business, leaving only three of them to deal with the prisoner. Still flanked on both sides by the Hunters, Emrys stayed in step with them as they followed the husky guard down the wide hallway to a desk. A stunning blonde-haired woman in uniform looked up from her computer and watched them approach.
Emrys suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, and then took a giant step backwards - yanking the two men on his arms back three steps. The bald Venator tried to continue moving forward, keeping a firm grip on Emrys’ arm, but he couldn’t budge him an inch.
“What the hell’s wrong with ya?” the Hunter asked, still tugging the stiff, immobile vampire.
The other Hunter’s eyes were huge again, and he inadvertently let Emrys’ arm go, afraid the vampire would strike any minute. But nothing happened. He looked up at the vampire, relieved and surprised he didn’t try to flee, and latched back onto his arm. He noticed that the vampire’s eyes were focused on the desk. Following his gaze, he spotted a large vase containing a huge bouquet of Sacred Datura flowers.
The woman behind the desk stood up just as the heavy-set guard turned back to see what the hold-up was. It became apparent that their detainee was not cooperating, and yet, not really fighting to get away either. The guard glanced briefly at both men holding their captive and then at Emrys. A confused look crossed the guard’s round face.
“I cannot go near those flowers,” Emrys stated. He knew now that they did plan to kill him. “I cannot even be in the same vicinity. I have terrible allergies. Please, sir. You must remove them at once.” He pleaded with the large security guard - sure he was not one of the Venators.
“That’s a harebrained lie,” the bald Hunter drawled, jerking Emrys’ arm. “Don’t ya’ll listen to him!” He sneered at his prisoner.
“What seems to be the problem here?” The woman behind the desk asked as she eyed Emrys. Her interest increased as she considered the whole view: his face, his hair, and then his eyes. Her eyes remained fastened on his. She raised an eyebrow, quite impressed with his good looks, and she was mesmerized by his alluring and intense gaze. She was immediately captivated.
“I am terribly allergic to your flowers, Miss.” Emrys said just before he produced a violent sneeze. And then he sneezed again - and again. “Do you see what I mean? Before long, my throat will begin to close up, and you shall find yourselves in need of an ambulance. Unless of course, you would prefer for me to die - right here.” He deliberately kept his eyes on hers.
“These aren’t even mine,” she said, shaking her head. “Someone put them there this morning. I hate flowers.” Suddenly feeling alive, she gave Emrys a wide smile. There was something about him that she could not pinpoint. But she enjoyed the way he looked her in the eye. “I can get rid of them for you,” she suggested, using her sweetest voice.
Once again the bald man sneered and blasted, “Are you kiddin me? You’re gonna believe this vam…uh…suspect we’re takin’ into custody?”
The woman ignored the bald man as she plucked up the flowers and opened another door. “I’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder.
The Venator let out a disgruntled sigh. Emrys called out a thank you to the woman.
The heavy-set security guard finally spoke up, asking, “Why are we detaining this man?” This guard had a kind voice and seemed to be the innocent until proven guilty type.
“Well, sir. That is a very good question, indeed,” Emrys began, not letting the Hunter answer. He looked at the security guard and added, “If you check my pockets you shall see that all of my papers are in order. I have my passport and my ID, and of course, my plane ticket – which is now no longer any good, since these two imbeciles have caused me to miss my flight.” He lifted his arms, indicating the Hunters still attached to his elbows.
“Yer a real piece a work,” the Venator said with a sneer, squeezing Emrys’ arm. He turned to the guard and told him that Emrys had tripped another passenger and was acting rowdy and suspicious, and then added, “We just want to check his status. Make sure he’s here legal, ya know, the usual.” The Hunter rolled his eyes, acting as if this was just another ordinary random security measure.
The big guard shook his head, looking exhausted. He turned toward the desk and started to sift through a pile of papers. “Make it quick then,” he sighed, glancing over his shoulder. “I need to keep things flowing out there. We can’t be bogged down with false accusations that take time away from finding real terrorists.” He turned back to the desk, grabbed a folder, and then left through the other door just as the woman returned.
The two Hunters pushed Emrys up against the wall, searched him for weapons, and removed everything from his pockets. The woman watched in silence and then gathered all of his things and placed them into a large brown envelope, setting it temporarily on her desk. She kept his identification and passport separate, and stole a quick glance at his name.
“Is this it?” she asked, gazing thoughtfully back up at Emrys. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She had never seen anyone quite as handsome in her life, and it gave her great satisfaction to see that he continued to glance her way now and then. She played with her ponytail, and batted her eyes, hoping to keep his attention.
Emrys took advantage of her obvious admiration, and when he had the chance, he smiled at her and gave her a look of interest. And then he sneezed again for good measure, and peering deep into her eyes, he said, “Thank you for removing those plants, Miss. You are so very kind.”
The hairless one gave Emrys a rough yank and then snapped, “Shut yer dang mouth!”
Emrys took one more glance at the woman. Her frown showed that she was upset by the harsh way her fellow guards had continued to handle him, and Emrys knew she was on his side.
The woman unlocked another door and the Hunter shoved Emrys inside with a warning. “Y’all sit tight while we check out yer papers.”
Emrys’ eyes flashed around the room, checking for more Datura. He spotted two
hardback chairs and a table. In the far corner there was a small sink with paper cups and towels - but no flowers. They pulled the door shut and locked it from the outside. So far, everything was going according to plan. Now all he had to do was wait for Gavin, and hope that they did not leave him alone with the Venators – and their deadly flowers.
Emrys paced and thought about Elizabeth, and how much he missed her already. They were hardly ever apart, and he knew she’d be worried about his welfare. But he also knew she’d understand the importance of keeping the babies away from the inevitable violence that was about to come. He saw no other way around it, and he was quite positive that before the day was over, blood would flow.
He sat on the chair for a few minutes, wondering if the mirror above the counter was a two-way. He rose up and went to the sink and got himself a cool drink of water. It was fortunate for all the humans that he had an abundance of self-control. But by the end of the day he’d be thirsty, and what he held in the paper cup would never satisfy. After swallowing the water he crumpled up the cup and tossed it into the wastebasket.
Glancing into the mirror, he brushed his long hair back away from his face. He rubbed his chin, thinking it was nearly time for a shave, although he was never completely clean-shaven. Elizabeth liked his five-o’clock shadow, as did many women. He smiled into the mirror, wondering if the female guard was watching him. If he needed her to, she’d help him. He knew it. He turned and started pacing again.
Finally the door opened and the woman guard walked in holding a large ceramic mug. She placed it on the table and said, “I thought you might like a cup of coffee.” She smiled at him and brushed her hair to the side. She had taken her ponytail down and her hair hung loose, framing her tan face.
The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set Page 79